How life has changed in Wirral

Wirral's population increased by about 7,500 between the last two censuses. This semi-automated article highlights some of the key changes among the local population.

The population reached nearly 320,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Wirral increased by 2.4%, from just over 312,000 to 320,000.

The addition of almost 7,500 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Wirral was home to, on average, 15 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across the North West

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the North West, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Wirral

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Wirral increased by two years, from 40 to 42 years.

This area had a higher average age than the North West and remained somewhat older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just over 6,900 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just over 7,000.

About 12.0% of people in Wirral are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Wirral by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Wirral working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 9.8% to 7.9% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.7%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 1.7% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 11.1% in 2001 to 8.3% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 13.0% to 10.1%.

Long hour working in Wirral decreased by 1.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Wirral, the North West and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in rate of self-employment

Wirral saw the North West's third-largest rise in the proportion of self-employed people.

In 2011, just under 1 in 13 (7.5%) people aged 16 to 74 in Wirral said they were self-employed, compared with 5.9% in 2001. The percentage that were employed increased from 49.5% to 51.2%.

Across the region, only Trafford (from 8.0% to 9.7%) and Knowsley (from 4.2% to 5.9%) saw a greater increase in the proportion of self-employed people.

During this period, Wirral went from having the 32nd-highest to the 13th-lowest percentage of self-employed people out of 309 English local authority areas.

The rate of self-employment in Wirral increased by 1.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Wirral, the North West and England that said they were self-employed, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Wirral

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, the largest percentage point increase in Wirral was among those who said they had no religion, rising 11.5 points.

In 2011, 22.9% of respondents in Wirral gave this answer to the question on religion, compared with 11.4% of those who answered in 2001.

Across the North West, the percentage of people who answered the question on religion and described themselves as having no religion increased from 11.3% to 21.1%, while across England the percentage went from 15.7% to 26.5%.

Of those who disclosed their religion in Wirral, 75.5% said they were Christian, compared with 87.7% in 2001. About 0.6% said they were Muslim, compared with 0.3% a decade prior.

The percentage of people who disclosed a religious affiliation and said they were Buddhist increased from 0.2% to 0.3%.

In Wirral, 6.8% chose not to answer the question on religious affiliation, compared with 8.0% in 2001. Across the North West, 6.2% did not answer the voluntary question, compared with 7.7% in 2001. Across England, 7.2% of people did not answer, compared with 7.7% in 2001.

The population that said they had no religion in Wirral increased by 12 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents who answered the voluntary question on religion in England, North West and Wirral by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Wirral

The percentage of Wirral residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 7.6% to 7.5% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 20 (5.1%) reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities, compared with 4.4% in 2001. The percentage of Wirral residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 88.0% to 87.4%.

The proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 7.0% in 2001 to 6.7% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 6.8% to 6.5%.

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across the North West

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Wirral, but at a slower rate than in Liverpool (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Wirral).

In Wirral, the proportion of private renting increased from 8.8% in 2001 to 15.8% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Liverpool increased from 13.0% to 23.4%.

Across the North West, the share of privately rented homes increased from 8.5% to 15.4%.

The rate of social housing in Wirral fell from 16.5% to 15.2%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 72.5% to 67.5%.

Private renting in Wirral increased by 7.1 percentage points

Percentage of households in Wirral, the North West and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Wirral

The percentage of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased here, but at a slower rate than in nearby Liverpool.

In Wirral, the proportion of single people increased from 28.5% in 2001 to 33.9% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Liverpool increased from 41.7% to 49.7%.

Across the North West, the share of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 30.1% to 35.6%.

The proportion of married people in Wirral fell from 50.0% to 44.8%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 11.6% to 12.9%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was lower than across the North West

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were single across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Wirral residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 11.4% to 7.5% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (78.2%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 66.9% in 2001. The percentage of Wirral residents that described their health as fair decreased from 21.7% to 14.3%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 11.0% in 2001 to 6.8% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Wirral decreased by 3.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Wirral, the North West and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

More people cohabiting

The percentage of households in Wirral, which comprised a cohabiting couple, increased from 6.1% to 8.5% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over one in three (33.7%) households had only one person, compared with 32.3% in 2001. The percentage of households in Wirral which comprised a married couple (with or without children) decreased from 34.6% to 30.5%.

The proportion of households with an unmarried couple increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 7.9% in 2001 to 9.8% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 8.3% to 9.9%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Wirral increased by 2.4 percentage points

Percentage of households in Wirral, the North West and England that had an unmarried couple, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Wirral

In 2011, 97.0% of Wirral residents said they were from one of the White ethnic groups, making it the most common ethnicity in this local authority area. The population from these groups has increased from 98.3% in 2001.

Across the North West, the percentage of people from one of the White ethnic groups fell from 94.4% to 90.2%, while across England the percentage went from 90.7% to 85.1%.

Around 1.6% of people in Wirral said they were from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups, compared with 0.8% in 2001. About 1.0% said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), compared with 0.6% a decade prior.

The percentage of people who said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from 0.2% to 0.2%.

The population from one of the White ethnic groups in Wirral decreased by 1.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Wirral by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Families in Wirral

The percentage of households without children increased in this area, but at a slower rate than in nearby Liverpool.

In Wirral, the proportion of households without children increased from 59.3% in 2001 to 60.3% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Liverpool increased from 59.2% to 62.6%.

Across the North West, the share of households without children increased from 59.3% to 60.8%.

The proportion of households with children in Wirral fell from 30.0% to 28.2%, while the proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents remained close to 11.5%.

The proportion of households without children was lower than across the North West

Percentage of households without children across local authority areas in the North West and the average across England, March 2011

Change in unpaid care provision

The percentage of Wirral residents that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care increased from 2.9% to 3.3% in the decade to 2011.

The percentage who reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 1.5%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North West (from 2.4% in 2001 to 2.8% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 2.1% to 2.4%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Wirral remained close to 3.3%

Percentage of usual residents in England, North West and Wirral by care, March 2001 and March 2011

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